witching the far-distant
conflagration, I felt a stronger puff of wind on my cheek than had for
some time been blowing. It rapidly increased, but it blew off the land.
After I had waited some time till I thought I ought to go back to
assist Tommy in keeping up the fire, the wind again fell. I had been
longer away than I supposed, and I was obliged to set to work again to
collect sticks--a more difficult task than it had first been, as we had
to go to a greater distance beyond the light of the fire to find them.
Solon now even surpassed us, for he was able to discover the dry sticks
in the dark far better than we could. I could not help thinking at
times of the risk we were running from venomous creatures, and more than
once drew back my hand under the idea that I was about to catch hold of
a snake. However, though I daresay we might have put many of them to
flight, neither of us were bitten, and at length we were able once more
to sit down before our fire and rest from our labours. We should have
preferred a cooler situation, but it was more important to have the
smoke to keep off the mosquitoes. I should have preferred a more
intellectual companion than Tommy Bigg, but there was so much honest
simplicity and good-nature about him, that I could not help feeling a
regard for him. The night passed slowly by. I could not venture to go
to sleep, though Tommy begged I would, promising to call me should our
supply of sticks run short; but I felt the importance of keeping up the
fire as long as it might serve as a beacon to our friends, and the
further they were off the larger I was anxious to make it. For some
time I had been aware that the wind was again getting up. It continued
to come in fitful gusts, but each of them grew stronger and stronger. I
feared that a regular gale was coming on; and if it did, I knew that our
boat must be exposed to very great danger. As morning approached I
began anxiously to look out for the return of the boat. I got up over
and over again, and walked to a distance to endeavour to see her through
the gloom; and frequently I shouted in case Mr Henley had landed at any
other spot, to guide him to where we were. No one replied to my shouts;
not a sign of the boat could I see.

The glow in the sky over the spot where we supposed the ship was burning
had by this time much decreased in brilliancy. I stood earnestly
watching it. Suddenly it burst out brighter than ever, extending far
r